Tomorrow's Yesterday
by Dreaming Spire
Summary: As Link and Sheik battle their way into Ganon's fortress, the two young men can only hope that they'll live to see tomorrow.


**Tomorrow's Yesterday**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything recognizable of Shigeru Miyamoto or the Legend of Zelda series. I wish I did, though.

**Warnings:** Violence, blood, gore, angst, character death, AU

**Author's Notes:** Halloween oneshot. Wrote this puppy in about six hours while home alone with horror movies playing in the background. Fun stuff. Ah, anyways, some notes about this story: Sheik is his own individual male, there is enough blood and gore here to satisfy any Red Cross blood bank, and I tweaked a few parts of the Ocarina of Time plotline. I'll also warn you that this story is rated Mature for a reason. Enjoy.

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He snarled in frustration, snapping his head to the side as the ancient, rusting blade thrust past his face, searing off a few fine strands of blonde hair. The stench of decay and rot permeated the area, nearly suffocating his buzzing senses as he dropped to all fours lithely, a second sword whirling over his rigid body from behind. Tucking his legs, he shoved off the uneven ground and shot into the air, seamlessly flipping over the two heads of the Stalfos and landing gracefully on the crown on the crumbling stone archway above them.

Sheik's next breath was torn from his lungs when the heavy club slammed into his back, his feet scrambling forward for purchase as he doubled over, wheezing and desperately struggling to draw in air. Pure instinct guided him in rolling to the left, the jagged, abrasive stones of the archway digging into his shoulder and hip, and he narrowly evaded the Dinolfos' second attack as the club smashed down where his head previously had been. The creature screeched furiously, revealing a mouthful of razor-sharp fangs glistening with saliva, and charged forth, its viciously clawed feet tearing up the stones. Still winded, Sheik merely dodged the first lunge, blocked the second with his crossed arms (wincing in pain as he swore he heard bones cracking in protest), and then lashed out with a dagger, swiftly drawing it across the creature's exposed throat. The thick, reptilian skin made it difficult for the man to make a quick, clean cut, and purple blood spurted nosily from the Dinolfos' slit neck, and sprayed on Sheik's already stained clothes and face. It screamed in agony, the club dropping from its hand, before toppling off the archway and into the swarming masses of monsters below.

Sheik turned away knowingly, flinching at the sound of reluctant tearing and gurgling blood and gnashing fangs and hungry slurping as the monsters below began to devour their dying comrade, ignoring its frantic, pleading squeals and weak, futile thrashing.

The Sheikah warrior swallowed heavily, his stomach churning unpleasantly, and tried to remember what he was fighting for.

Monsters, creatures, and beasts fought before him, teeming in magnitudes that Sheik couldn't even begin to gauge. They screamed and cawed, attacking with fangs, swords, and talons, hacking each other apart mindlessly as they flocked around the battlefield. Sheik didn't understand what phenomenon had taken place that monsters would kill their own allies, or why they gathered here now, at this point in time that was so crucial to the fate of Hyrule, of the fate of mankind. Part of him reasoned that they congregated in response to the resonation of the Triforce, which trilled along even his senses now that the three halves were assembled in such close proximity with each other. Another part of him argued that Ganondorf had called upon them in hopes to slay the Hero of Time before Link could draw the Master Sword on him and end his tyranny. Either way, the monsters provided a challenging aspect to navigating a path to the main gates that would lead to the castle.

Sheik's eyes flitted from the cannibalistic feeding frenzy below him to the castle in the distance, his grip tightening on the hilt of his dagger as his heart clenched painfully at the sight.

Beyond the chaotic battle, the twisted towers of Ganon's Castle loomed, suspended above the bubbling poor of molten lava that hissed and crackled below. Dark, opaque black clouds hovered over the fortress, obscuring a sky that the Sheikah hadn't seen in seven, long years. Mist twined throughout the barren, desolate area weeping of death and blood, but even with such little visibility, it was impossible to miss the shadowy figures of burly creatures and willowy monsters lumbering throughout the arena, which, Sheik somberly recalled, once had been the courtyard of Hyrule Castle.

The small, slender man turned his burning crimson eyes away from the monstrosity that used to be his home when he was a child and searched diligently through the crowds below, scanning the monsters for any sight of —

His eyes widened a fraction, and, without a moment of hesitation, he vaulted off the precarious archway, landing on the shoulders of a startled Stalfos before hurdling through the air once more, drawing his second dagger from the covert sheath in his boot. This time, he settled on the balls of his feet on solid ground, his expression cold and calculating as he slipped around a pack of Dinolfos and stabbed a nearby resting Keese before the bat could take flight. Silently, he slid down a rough, rocky slope, disregarding the howl of a Wolfos as it chased after him blindly. Sheik whipped around and braced himself as the overgrown mutt pounced, getting the wind knocked out of him a second time as the wolf slammed into his chest, its claws scoring his arms as its maw opened to rip out his throat. The added weight and momentum of the Wolfos sent the two flying head over heels, tumbling down the hill in a fury of growling and snapping, and curses and oaths. Sheik, his hands prying the jaws of the beast open, angled his leg, gasped as he landed on his back painfully, and then struck up harshly, sending the Wolfos flying up over his head. Panting, he rolled backwards onto his feet and turned around just as the creature lunged forward, fur bristling. Dancing out of reach, Sheik flipped one of his daggers in his hand before hurtling it at the wolf, grimly satisfied when it _thunked_ into the thing's head right between its bright, yellow eyes.

Abandoning the weapon, Sheik fled from the area just as the monsters began to notice him, bounding along the weary dirt path and sprinting past a pair of groaning ReDead. He was just halfway through the battlefield when the hairs prickled on the back of his neck, his hackles rising warningly. He looked up, skidding to a panicked halt, and quickly backpedaled as the massive ax buzzed through the air and cleaved the ground. The Iron Knuckle's heavy armor produced a loud clangor as it heaved the weapon out of the ground and hefted it over its helmeted head, and Sheik nervously glanced around, mentally cursing as other creatures perked at the sound curiously and spotted the Sheikah.

He darted forward, too close to the Iron Knuckle for the ax to be of any good, and managed to sink his dagger into the exposed armpit of the creature where armor did not coat it, eliciting a roar of rage from it. Sheik tore the weapon free just as the monster grasped his arm in a grip that nearly ripped it from the socket and flung him away into a mound of dirt and bones.

Muscles complaining and his body aching, Sheik slowly drew himself up, feeling disoriented and drained. When the Iron Knuckle trudged over, this time accompanied by a Stalfos, the young man knew he had his work set out for him. He brought up his dagger, deciding that he would take care of the faster, more mobile Stalfos first, and discovered with dismay that he was holding merely a hilt and a few remains of the shattered steel weapon. Groaning, he tossed the worthless scrap over his shoulder, and picked up what looked to be a femur bone from the pile he had landed in, eyeing it skeptically.

Closing his eyes, he grasped the bone grudgingly, harnessing energy from his inner reserves, and converting it into Magic with a few inaudible words. A greenish aura consumed the bone, reflecting off onto Sheik's face and clothes eerily, before the bone twitched and then shifted, its shape becoming more slender and finer. The Stalfos had nearly reached him by the time he had completed the alteration, and he held the foreign weight of the steel sword with distaste clearly written on his face.

Wishing he had the time to become accustomed to such a different weapon, Sheik struck first, whipping the blade out horizontally and striking the Stalfos heavily so that both creature and sword groaned and trembled. The Sheikah gritted his teeth at the jarring feeling of slamming a blade into something akin to stone, and rolled back his head as the Stalfos retaliated with a flat thrust, feeling the whisper of the enemy blade against the tip of his nose.

Sucking in a breath, Sheik focused his Magic and vanished from sight with an intense flash of light that blinded the monster momentarily. With a pop, he reappeared above the creature, and, with a feral growl, he plunged his blade into the skull of the Stalfos before slamming into it and knocking them both to the ground. With a snap, the Stalfos tumbled apart into a heap of innocent bones that Sheik watched suspiciously as he stood and faced the Iron Knuckle, which still had yet to reach him.

Grimacing, Sheik met it halfway, flipped up over the whirl of the ax, and then sprinted in the opposite direction, knowing that the Iron Knuckle would lose interest in him in such a chase.

He regarded Ganon's Castle with dark, shadowed eyes as his legs pumped furiously beneath him, his heart hammering in his chest as his breathing became harsh and uneven. A mixture of emotions played in him, and he fumbled through them dubiously, uncertain of what one was appropriate.

Grief? Before him were the remnants of his childhood, torn asunder by a man, _just one_ _man_. Never once had he envisioned himself battling his way through hoards of monsters to reach the castle and kill the King inside. He had just been a child.

Anger? His country had been cast into shadows by a single, ruthless man teeming with evil and insanity. His people had been massacred, the Princess imprisoned, and he had been forced to live seven years in constant paranoia, wondering if today would be the day he would die.

Fear? Ganondorf had the most sinister of Black Magic at his dispense, and the most unrivaled power in the land. He had the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Power in his clutches now that he had Zelda. Was there really any chance that they could win?

Sheik's crimson eyes fell on the scene that opened up before him as he breached the crest of a hill, and he unconsciously held his breath as relief swept through him.

Hope, Sheik decided as he watched Link gracefully twist around and slash the ReDead with the brilliantly bright Master Sword, his blonde hair swinging behind him from underneath that green cap. Hope that there would be a tomorrow, and that, with tomorrow, there would be clear skies and renewing rains to wash away the death and sorrow of yesterday. Hope for a tomorrow that only the_ Hero of Time_ could bring, that only _Link_ could bring.

And so Sheik hoped.

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"Sheik!" Navi called out, whirling around an exhausted Link's head as the young Hero finished off the ReDead.

The Sheikah warrior loped over, his face drawn and pale and splattered with blood, but despite this, his normally cold, cryptic crimson eyes were alight with a relieved and affectionate warmth. In his right hand was a peculiar blade that neither Link nor Navi could recall seeing him ever carry, which he did so with a blatant amount of awkwardness that could only result from the fact that the man usually did not wield swords in favor of smaller, more deadly weapons.

"Lost you in town," Link amended apologetically when the Sheikah glared at him. "We've been looking for you, though."

Sheik shook his head in exasperation before discreetly glancing over his shoulder, studying the movements of the monsters and making sure none were going to ambush them. "We have no time," he murmured distractedly, his eyes glassy as he turned to regard the castle before them, staring up at the great, black towers where Ganondorf and Zelda awaited them.

Link's winter blue eyes fell, and his expression became withdrawn as he curtly nodded. "Yes," he agreed quietly, offering a worried Navi a weak smile as she hesitantly touched his shoulder. Clearing his throat, he drew Sheik closer, pointing to the chasm that led to the moat of lava beneath the castle. "How do we cross?" he asked, his golden brows furrowed as he glanced at Sheik apprehensively.

Sheik stepped forward lightly, dropping the gangly blade with aversion, and examined the expanse that separated the lip of battlefield they stood on from the floating island that upheld the castle. His Magic would never be able to transport both Link and himself over such a distance. Then, after paying closer attention to the castle, he realized that it didn't matter; barriers that he couldn't breach were protecting the fortress, and would not allow him to employ Magic anyways.

"Link, Sheik…" a familiar voice cried out, a man's voice that spoke volumes of age and wisdom. "It is I, Rauru the Sage." Link stared up into the clouds as the disembodied voice of Rauru fell upon them, his eyes sweeping throughout the area as though he could find the man. Sheik, however, humbly bowed his head and swiftly dropped to one knee out of reverence. "We six will gather our power to create a bridge to the castle where Ganondorf dwells…"

Sheik and Link watched in silent wonder as a bridge of brilliant colors connected the castle to the battlefield, and the Hero of Time, his eyes wide, wordlessly placed a foot on it, testing its stability. The bridge, though transparent, held soundly, and Link smiled thankfully.

"The castle's keep," Rauru continued, his voice solemn now, "is protected by six evil barriers that will hinder your Magic use and progress to find Ganondorf. We six will bring down the six barriers. Link, Sheik, please save Princess Zelda!"

"The Forest Barrier is dispelled!" rang out another voice, and both Sheik and Link started in surprise as the translucent form of Saria appeared before them, her back turned as she held out her hands to the castle, her expression determined. She flashed Link an encouraging smile, her blue eyes dancing. "Link, hurry up!"

"The Fire Barrier is dispelled!" rumbled Darunia, shimmering into sight beside Saria, his large bulky body towering over the small Kokiri's in an unlikely comparison. His beady black eyes locked on Sheik and Link, and he grinned disarmingly. "You'd better kill him soon, Brothers!"

"The Water Barrier is dispelled!" exclaimed Ruto, her voice clear as bells. She materialized by Darunia, her purple earrings clicking softly as she frowned and reached forward, palm outstretched, towards the castle. Then, glancing at them behind her shoulder, she narrowed her violet eyes. "I'll be waiting, Link."

"The Shadow Barrier is dispelled!" murmured Impa, now next to Ruto. Her red eyes regarded the castle with a deep sorrow and longing in them, emotions that were similar to the ones reflected in Sheik's as he watched her. She turned to regard them, her expression soft, and smiled faintly. "Please save the Princess, lads."

"The Spirit Barrier is dispelled!" declared Nabooru defiantly, hands on her hips as she appeared beside Impa, her luscious ginger hair swinging behind her. She whirled around to eye Sheik and Link, smirking confidently. "Well? What the hell are you two waiting for?"

"And finally, the Light Barrier is dispelled!" Rauru whispered, and the Sages before the two blonde men faded from sight, leaving both of them feeling horribly empty and forlorn. "Now, go!"

Sheik turned to Link, his face masked and his expression closed off and guarded. But his eyes were staring at the Hero of Time, bright with fevered hope that caught the Hylian off guard. Link studied the enigmatic man beside him, suddenly overcome with the thought that Sheik truly represented all the hope and faith of those villagers and townspeople, all those innocent Kokiri, all those starving Gorons, all those brainwashed Gerudo, and all those trapped Zora, that today would be the end of something horrible and the beginning of something wonderful. That today would end and tomorrow would begin. That there would be an end.

And Link could only hope that _he_ too would be able to see this tomorrow.

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The organ's haunting screams tore through the long, winding halls of the fortress, assaulting the two young men as they steadily ran through the towers, following the thick, blood red carpet that spun throughout the castle, leading them down corridors and through dungeons. The torches aligning the walls barely illuminated the dark staircase they sprinted up, and shadows flickered like whispers of sound over them, causing an unusually high-strung Link to whirl around with the Master Sword drawn, his breathing erratic and his eyes wild as he searched. But it was just the firelight playing tricks on them, creating illusions to bait their paranoia-hungry minds, and Link would realize there was no monster lurking behind them.

But that was because the monster was upstairs, waiting for them.

Navi shuddered, her light nearly extinguished by the suffocating darkness of the hall, and glanced at Link uncertainly, needing his smile, his reassurance.

But the Hero of Time did not smile, nor did he reassure her. Instead, he faced inner conflict and turmoil as he realized that he was minutes away from a battle that would change Hyrule forever. The heavy burden of people's hopes threatened to drown him as he heard their pleading voices in his head, begging him not to fail, begging him to destroy the living incarnation of evil, begging him to avenge their meaningless deaths, begging him to save the Princess. The Master Sword was becoming weighty on his back as he ran up the stairs, a constant reminder of the childhood and innocence he had sacrificed to be here, to have this opportunity to seal evil forever. The Triforce etched into his hand burned into his flesh from where it was hidden behind his gauntlet, just as the Goddesses' will burned into him, their murmured whispers of comfort creeping over him.

Link suddenly froze, his leg bent to take the next step, and stared sightlessly at the opposite wall, his body faintly trembling as his eyes widened with horror.

He didn't want this. He didn't want this. He didn't want this.

"Link?" Sheik asked softly, hesitantly, turning around and looking down at the paralyzed young man. Link swallowed, inhaled sharply, and glanced up at his comrade, almost terrified at what he'd see in those haunted eyes, those eyes that had seen so much death and pain and sorrow, eyes that were as red as the blood bathing their clothes. Again, the amount of _hope_ and resolved _faith_ in those eyes astounded Link, sending wave after wave of dread crashing through him when he realized he could never walk away from such eyes, from such hope.

Without knowing it, Sheik was truly condemning Link to a fate he didn't want.

"Link? Are you alright?" the Sheikah warrior murmured, his expression concerned as he gently placed a tightly bandaged hand on the Hero's tense shoulder.

"No," Link wanted to whisper, wanted to say, wanted to _scream_. How could he ever be alright? He had been thrown into a role that he never wanted, never had agreed to playing, and given a sword of such purity that it made his soul cry out in pain every time he touched it. He was terrified that he wasn't going to be able to return to his time, _his real time_, horrified that he might not even be able to see tomorrow, nevertheless see his own ten-year-old self in the mirror. Why did _he_ have to be the one who determined Hyrule's destiny? Why did _he_ have to be the one to suffer alone? Why did _he _have to fight this madman? Why didn't he have a choice?

Why couldn't he find any scrap of hope or faith in himself? Why couldn't he look into the eyes of people like Sheik, who _had_ suffered alone, who _had_ fought alone, who _hadn't had_ a choice, and promise them tomorrow? He was the Hero, after all. So why couldn't he?

Why was he so weak?

"I'm fine," he lied, like he always did, with that fake smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, didn't quite light up his face. "I'm fine."

Why did tomorrow feel so far away?

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The large doors swung open noiselessly, and both men cringed as light filtered through the stained-glass windows and temporarily blinded them. Twisted music reverberated throughout the room as Ganondorf, his back turned to them, skillfully raped the soul of sound as his fingers danced away at the organ, the melody produced grotesque and terrible.

"Sheik! Link!" cried Zelda, pounding on the walls of her diamond-shaped prison, her sapphire eyes large and alarmed. Sheik took a step forward involuntarily, his eyes hardening and his face contorting into a furious scowl.

"Let her go, Ganondorf!" he snarled, his fists clenched and his muscles taut.

The music screeched to a halt as Ganondorf suddenly laughed, a sound that was more horrific than the melody he had played. The King of Evil whipped around to face them, his cape fluttering to the side, and immediately leveled Link with a malicious stare, his amber eyes glittering darkly. "Let her go?" he echoed, his deep voice mocking as he continued to stare at the immobile Link but addressed Sheik. "C'mon Sheikah, you're kidding, right? After all this searching for the Triforce halves, you honestly think I'm gonna let her go?"

"Ganondorf," growled Sheik menacingly, his crimson eyes quivering with hatred and rage.

"The Triforce parts are resonating," commented the King flippantly, gesturing to Zelda. The Princess' palm was indeed glowing, the outline of the Triforce engraved in it sparkling to life as she pressed her hand against the diamond, her eyes tortured as she realized she would not be able to help Link or Sheik in this battle. "They are combining into one again. Seven years. I've waited for this for seven years, did you know?" Ganondorf's eyes held an insane glint to them that chilled Link and Sheik as they watched him, drawn by the power he radiated, the madness that consumed him. "These toys are too much for you! I command you to return them to me!"

"Link! Watch out!"

"Link!"

And suddenly the whole world was spinning as Sheik crashed into Link and knocked both of them off the trembling platforms before they plummeted to the chamber below. The two men scrambled to their feet, their eyes locked on the ominous figure of Ganondorf as he hovered above a single platform in the center of the room, his face split into a wide grin.

"This is it, Link," Sheik hissed behind him, and the Hero started in surprise as slender arms came around his chest and carefully took hold of his bow that was strung across his torso. Link, his heart throbbing in his throat as he eyed Ganondorf, allowed the weaponless Sheik to take his Fairy Bow. Then, realizing that Sheik would need his quiver as well, he began to unhook it from his baldric before he noticed that Sheik would have no where to fasten it. Glancing at Ganondorf once more, he unbuckled his entire baldric, unhooked his scabbard, and handed the leather material to Sheik silently before rehooking his scabbard at his hip, his hand brushing up against the hilt of the Master Sword anxiously.

Sheik slung the bandolier over his shoulder, and while it was much looser on his long, slender frame than it was on Link's muscled chest, the Sheikah didn't seem to notice or care as he drew an arrow wordlessly, nocking it and watching Ganondorf. Link, his fingers trembling, grasped the Master Sword and whipped it out of its scabbard, the steel whispering against the sheath quietly.

The two men, men who were still young enough to be deemed teenagers, stood side-by-side, regarding Ganondorf closely as the King of Evil stared at them in amusement. The one on the right was a Sheikah warrior, a soldier who fought for his country, for the Princess, for the people, and for a new beginning in the tomorrow. The one on the left was a Hylian swordsman, a Hero who fought for his country, for the Princess, for the people, and for a life he had known in the yesterday.

Silently, they hoped.

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The blood was hot, Link noticed faintly, as he stumbled back. Ganondorf's blood was _hot_. It sluiced in warm rivers down Link's body, seeped into his clothes, burned his skin. Too hot. Panting heavily, Link looked up through his thick bangs, up at the convulsing form of Ganondorf as the King of Evil screamed in denial and fury, his cape fluttering in tatters behind him as blood pooled at his feet.

Sheik was gasping for breath beside him, nearly doubled over from the exhausting battle, and yet, he still forced himself up, forced himself to watch with justice-hungry eyes, watch the long awaited death of the king. His body quivered, though Link wasn't sure if it was from fatigue or excitement, as the Sheikah gazed up at Ganondorf, searing the man with his indomitable faith.

Link felt something break inside of him, something painful that just _snapped_, and suddenly, _suddenly_ he felt relief wash over him as the terror and doubt and weakness drained from him, drained just like that hot, hot blood was draining from Ganondorf. He was dizzy with exhilaration, the adrenaline still pounding demandingly in his veins from the battle, and for a moment, a _single_, _wonderful_ moment, everything blurred, and something _hot_ that _wasn't_ blood slipped down his cheeks from his eyes, and he was smiling, but he didn't understand why — why was he smiling?

Sheik was drawing him away from Ganondorf, who had collapsed in a heap before them, and, glancing at Link, smiled as well, smiled so that it brightened his usually cold façade, brightened the battle weary lines and marks on his young face.

And Link couldn't remember being as deliriously happy in his life, as he realized, with a start, _I'm going to see tomorrow_.

That's when the tower began to collapse.

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_Queen _Zelda turned to the two young men, her sapphire blue eyes bright with wordless gratitude and admiration. Navi floated above the three blondes' heads as they faced one another, witnesses to the demise of the King of Evil, witnesses to the end of the war and to the beginning to the rebirth of Hyrule. The small golden earrings clicked as Zelda bowed her head, her hair spilling over her shoulders. "It's over," she breathed, her voice almost disbelieving. "It's finally over."

The corners of Sheik's eyes crinkled, an indication that he was smiling, and his expression softened as he gently took Zelda's hand and entwined his slender, wrapped fingers with hers. "It is," he concurred quietly, if only to reassure her. "It's over."

The Sheikah glanced up at Link then, his crimson eyes flooded with emotion that he couldn't possibly express in words. The Hero met his gaze silently, feeling shame wash over him that he had ever doubted this man's faith, this man's _hope_, and wordlessly thanked Sheik for being there in that last battle, for being there with such determination and steadfast _belief_ that, yes, there would be a tomorrow.

"Link," Sheik murmured, releasing Zelda's hand. Then, much to Link's chagrin, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head as he had done before Rauru, his stance speaking volumes of reverence, gratefulness, and appreciation. "Thank you," the Sheikah continued in those same low tones. "Thank you for taking up that sword…thank you for leading us to this day."

The Hero of Time stared in shock at Sheik, a man who had become his ally, his comrade, his _friend_, and then abruptly jerked the youth to his feet, trying to ignore the furious blush on his face. "Don't do that," he muttered in embarrassment, rubbing his nose and feeling his cheeks heat up when Sheik just watched him, smiling apologetically even as his red eyes continued to convey his gratitude.

Zelda opened her mouth to comment on Link's blush, but cut herself off curtly at the echo of something crashing to the ground behind them. She gasped in fear, her eyes wide with dread, and Sheik immediately drew himself up in front of her protectively, his face guarded and his eyes narrowed dangerously. Link dropped the arm that had instinctively thrown itself before Zelda and drew the Master Sword. His heart was hammering once more in his ribcage, and a cold sweat broke out along his skin, as a voice in his head cried _no, no, no, no, no_ over and over. He exchanged a look with Sheik, and then the two of them were silently crossing the rubble of what remained of the castle, their footsteps loud even to their own ears as their boots crunched along dust and stone.

A scream from Zelda and the crackle of flames spun them both around in horror to find that they were trapped in an arena surrounded by a wall of raging fire. Feeling his stomach threatening to lurch as he realized what was happening, Link slowly turned back to the center of the arena, already knowing who he would see.

Wheezing for breath, covered head to toe in soot, was Ganondorf, his eyes glowing forebodingly as he raised a trembling hand, revealing the faint aura of the Triforce carved into his skin. The Fairy Bow clattered to the ground as Sheik dropped to his knees in dismay, his eyes wide with refutation.

Ganondorf howled in animalistic fashion, before flinging his arms and legs out to the sides, his entire body encompassed in a furiously garish, blue light that burned Sheik and Link's eyes. When finally the light dissipated, a monster stood in place of man, and stark horror burrowed itself into the two youths' hearts as they stared in complete terror as lightning crashed overhead, illuminating the hideousness that resulted from the corruption of power. Ganon swung its gigantic dual blades, and before Sheik could roll to his feet and help, it attacked Link, knocking the Master Sword out of the Hero's hands where it spun out of the arena and behind an anxious Zelda. Link followed the blade's movements with his eyes, frozen with cold realization that _it wasn't over_.

"Link!" Zelda screamed, pointing behind him, her eyes screaming with her, screaming of horror and terror and fear. She was clutching her dress in her hands, and her mouth was open in a silent scream as she stared beyond him, stared at what Link could guess was his untimely death.

He glanced over his shoulder, not daring to breathe, and lightning streaked through the clouds, enlightening the massive form of Ganon as it lunged forward, its two blades screeching through the air as they whistled for him, whistled a tune of death, a tune hungry for his _hot, hot blood._

_Tomorrow_, Link thought as he lost all hope, lost all faith, _tomorrow is so far away_.

And the blades fell.

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Sheik stared, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight, and felt tears prickling at his dry, red eyes, felt them roll down his cheeks behind the mask that always obscured his face.

And he smiled.

Link stared, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight, and felt nausea threaten to empty his stomach, felt it churning in him, much like the devastated weak thumping of his heart.

And he didn't smile.

The Sheikah's eyes widened in pain before he hacked up blood, blood that Link knew was hot, blood that Link knew was sliding down the inside of the man's mask where it was staining through and sliding down the man's chest. The blonde man was suffused in blood.

And Link was not.

Ganon's first sword had cleanly severed Sheik's left arm, and the glistening white bone of the Sheikah's shoulder was visible, along with the taut, stretched blue tendons and red muscles. Blood was slowly seeping from the wound and was dripping down the dark material of Sheik's clothes, soaking them.

Ganon's second sword had _not_ cleanly severed Sheik's right arm. The monster's angle had been off, and thus the blade had sliced diagonally through Sheik's right shoulder to his left hipbone, where the very tip of the sword glittered sadistically in fresh blood, mocked Link, who should have been the one to receive such a ghastly death. Blood bubbled from Sheik's lips, and his body convulsed, his face screwed up in agony, before something thick and wet and viscous slid out from the incision along Sheik's abdomen.

And suddenly, Link's stomach was heaving.

The Sheikah's entrails and guts sloshed to the ground with soggy, smacking _pops_, piling at the Sheikah's trembling feet right next to his left arm.

Link forced himself to look up, despite the way his eyes blurred with tears, the way his chest tightened painfully, the way it took _every ounce of effort_ to keep dragging in oxygen, because, like Sheik had forced himself to watch Ganondorf, the Hero would watch his friend die.

Link couldn't offer him the promise of tomorrow, but he could offer him this much.

Sheik's dull, round eyes met his in one last moment, and despite the fact that the light was fading from them, those eyes still burned, still burned with passionate hope that overwhelmed Link. Those blood stained lips, free now that his mask was slipping down, slowly formed the words that Link didn't want to hear.

"Thank you."

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Sheik had shoved him from behind, hit him so hard that Link had had the wind knocked out of him. He had stumbled forward before crashing to the ground gracelessly, blinking and trying to understand why he hadn't been cleaved in two. Then the sickening sound of tearing flesh and an agonized moan echoed through the arena, followed by Zelda's frantic screaming, and Link was scrambling around.

And Sheik had been _glad_. The look in his eyes as he realized that _Link_ was safe. The man had _cried_ with happiness. His _Hero_ was going to live to see tomorrow, even if it meant the _sacrifice_ of his _own_ tomorrow.

Link shot the seventh Light Arrow, his face shadowed, before following it with a colossal explosion as his Megaton Hammer slammed into the monster's exposed tail, eliciting a roar of anguish. Ganon furiously swung his fist, punching Link and sending the Hero of Time flying across the arena into a crumbling pillar, where he slid to the ground in a tangle of limbs. But when Link slowly clambered to his feet, swaying precariously and stumbling, there was no hesitancy or doubt in his cold, blue eyes, where a fire burned more deeply than those that incarcerated him with this beast.

The Hero of Time stalked forward, his soul blazing with an emotion he didn't want to comprehend, didn't have time to comprehend, and so he hungrily fed it to his fury, fury that was driving him to take one more step, to shoot one more arrow, to kill Ganon _one_ _last time_.

And so he did.

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Link stared at the gleaming edge of the blade, held it before his blank eyes, watched as the light reflected off of its perfect, immaculate steel. He could feel a foreign emotion twisting in him, a burning tugging on his heartstrings that he couldn't describe. His hands tightened around the blade — this hallowed _weapon_ of the heavens that had enabled him to conquer evil, this horrible _thing_ that had stolen seven years of his life, this wonderful _vessel_ that would return him to his normal time — before his expression hardened and he flung it away from him, flung it from the arena of death, flung it into the pit of hell, and watched in macabre fascination as the Master Sword — bane of evil, gift from the Goddesses — was devoured by the sifting lava below, completely and totally _destroyed_.

And that emotion twisting in him, that burning tugging in his heart, immediately vanished, replaced by a feeling of relief Link also couldn't describe, as his shoulders lost the tension in them, and his body slumped slightly, as if freed of a great burden.

_Thank the Goddesses_, he could only think as the Master Sword was sucked down into the lava. _Thank the Goddesses it's gone_.

"What are you _doing_?" screeched a voice that cracked terribly, before Zelda was shoving him away from the lip of the chasm, her wet sapphire eyes shimmering with tears as she too watched, mortified, as the Master Sword's hilt, all that was left of the blade, sunk under the surface. Her body trembled as she dropped to her knees, her hands clasped at her gaping mouth as she tried to suck in a breath, gasped over the broken sobs that were racking her frail body. "What have you _done_?" the Queen screamed hoarsely, her eyes full of pain, of hurt, of accusation, as she glared at Link in aversion, at the man whom she had once called _Hero_. "Now we are _trapped_ in this time! In this world! Do you understand what you've _just done_?"

Link turned away, dismissing her words, and slowly tilted his face up, squinting as the sun's unfamiliar beams of light washed over his face, as the clouds dissipated, as the sky became known once more.

"We can't _go back_ now, Link!" Zelda continued shrilly, her voice an octave too high as it cracked once more. "We can't return to our original time! We can't return to our world, untouched by Ganondorf's evil! We can't end the misery that this world will have to suffer! We can't _finish_ our destiny! We're _damned_!"

Link smiled coldly, his back still facing her, before glancing at Navi, who was silent on his shoulder. "Have a little _faith_, Your Majesty," he murmured, his gaze dropping to the silent, unmoving corpse in the arena, the corpse of a man who had died smiling, died with such _contentment_; the corpse of a man who had died fighting for _this_ country, _this _world, _this_ time, and not the world that Zelda described. "Tomorrow's just begun."

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**Author's Notes: **Comments, reviews, concrit?


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